Photographers pay range in Buffalo
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,640 a year or less, while the top 10% make $77,340 or more. The middle half of photographers in Buffalo earn between $36,460 and $58,500.
- $36K10th
- $36K25th
- $39KMedian
- $58K75th
- $77K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $49,240 | $4,103 | $23.67 |
| Median | $39,190 | $3,266 | $18.84 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,460 | $3,038 | $17.53 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $58,500 | $4,875 | $28.12 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Photographers salary after taxes in Buffalo
On the average salary of $49,240, a single filer in Buffalo takes home about $39,641 a year, or $3,303 a month and $1,525 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Is Buffalo a good place for photographers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Buffalo area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.8), so the average $49,240 buys what about $51,375 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Buffalo ($50,790). A typical home costs $288,316, or 5.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Photographers salary in other New York cities
Buffalo ranks 7th of 7 New York metro areas for this job; New York pays the most ($71,860).
Highest-paying cities for photographers
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($83,790).
- San Francisco, CA$83,790
- San Jose, CA$75,490
- Los Angeles, CA$73,520
- Santa Rosa, CA$72,250
- Santa Maria, CA$72,200
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Photographers salary in Buffalo: questions
How much do photographers make an hour in Buffalo?
$23.67 an hour on average, and $18.84 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level photographers salary in Buffalo?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,640 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,460, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the photographers take-home pay in Buffalo?
About $39,641 a year ($3,303 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $49,240. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Do photographers earn more in Buffalo than elsewhere?
The average here is 13% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($56,592).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-4021; area Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (15380). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.4%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.78, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.78).
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